The present invention relates generally to telecommunications systems and more particularly to providing single telephone number access to multiple communications services.
In conventional telecommunications systems, a number of different telecommunications services are offered to subscribers. Each telecommunications service requires a unique telephone number. Examples of telecommunications services that require a unique telephone number are automatic routing services, voicemail services, facsimile services, paging services, cellular phone services and personal 800 numbers. One of the drawbacks of each service requiring a different telephone number is that managing and publishing multiple telephone numbers for a subscriber that uses multiple communications services can prove to be quite cumbersome. For example, a subscriber may have to provide a first telephone number for facsimile services, a second telephone number for voicemail services, and a third telephone number for cellular services. Thus, a subscriber must remember all of the unique telephone numbers and must make clear to people whom the subscriber gives the telephone numbers what services are associated with what telephone numbers. Oftentimes, a party confuses the mapping of telephone numbers to services and reaches the wrong service when dialing the telephone number that was given to the party. For instance, a caller may dial a number thinking that he will reach a person and instead the caller reaches a facsimile machine.
Another drawback of conventional systems is the lack of flexibility regarding the telecommunications services that are provided to subscribers. A subscriber may need to provide access to different services to different people at various times. For example, a subscriber may need to have phone calls directed to the subscriber""s workplace during the work week but may need to have phone calls directed to his home or cellular phone on weekends. The subscriber may also wish to limit the people that may reach the subscriber by phone on the weekends. Still further, the subscriber may wish to provide other people with access to his voicemail. Unfortunately, with conventional systems such configurability of telecommunications services is not available.
The present invention provides a service node or platform for providing multiple communications services on behalf of a party known as a subscriber. The platform may be implemented using a computer system such as a server system that has an interface for interfacing with a telephone network. The platform may provide service for multiple subscribers. Each subscriber may have a single phone number through which access to all of the services that are provided by the platform may be realized.
The platform may provide a variety of different telecommunications services. For example, the platform may provide voicemail messaging services, facsimile messaging services, electronic mail messaging services, paging services, call routing services, and other types of services. Thus, the single platform may receive voicemail messages, electronic mail messages, pages, facsimile messages, and phone calls for the subscriber. The services that are available to respective subscribers may be configurable such that different subscribers have different services. The billing associated with using these services may also be configurable to be billed to a single account, a corporate account or to separate accounts.
The platform is readily configurable. The subscriber may select an override option that dictates how all calls will be processed. For example, a subscriber may configure the platform so that all calls are forwarded to a given destination, a messaging option or that a page is sent to the subscriber. The subscriber may also choose the different service options that are available to different callers. The callers may have to enter identification information and based upon the identification information, different service options are made available to the callers.
The platform may include speech recognition capabilities. These speech recognition capabilities may allow written messages to be converted into audio output and for audio messages to be converted into text or representations or other forms of written output. The written output may be directed to a printer, a facsimile, a computer system or other suitable output destination.
The platform may advise the subscriber of events via a pager. These events may be, for example, incoming calls. Pages may be sent that identify the incoming calls and the phone numbers to which the incoming calls are destined. Such pages may be resultant in a scrolling display that lists the respective calls and the respective phone numbers.
The platform may provide audio messages that advise a subscriber of events. These events may include a receipt of different types of messages and receipt of pages. The audio response may be generated and output to the subscriber while the subscriber is on a call. The audio output may be at a volume that is substantially lower than typical speaking volume so as to advise the subscriber of the event but without significantly interrupting the call of the subscriber.
The platform is able to combine messages of different types. For example, e-mail attachments may be made to facsimile messages. The resulting combination of facsimile message and e-mail message may be sent to a destination specified by the subscriber.